One of the common challenges in the living room is to find the remote control. What if we could use our hands to control the TV, then we would always have a remote control in hand. This is the technology that PrimeSense is trying to drive. We know PrimeSense as the technology behind Xbox Kinect. However, PrimeSense technology is not only for games. Microsoft showed how to use the Xbox Kinect for controlling the media you have on the Xbox (like, Hulu plus and Netflix). In addition to that, PrimeSense will work with Asus to introduce the Wavi Xtion, which will enable you to play content from the PC on the TV and control it with your hands. If this technology succeeds, then we might soon see the PrimeSense technology in the Apple TV, Roku or the cable boxes.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Remote Control, TV

Using your hands to control the TV originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 9, 2011 at 9:43 am.

Since becoming part of team here at The-Gadgeeter, I’ve had the chance to review some fantastic gadgets.  However, this has to be one of the coolest gadgets I’ve ever had the privilege of reviewing.

It’s called the Kymera Magic Wand, from The Wand Company, which is a true work of art.  Not only does it look fantastic, but it’s also been designed to be used as a universal TV remote control!   Yes indeed, with a magical, Harry Potter style flick of the wrist, you can switch channels, turn the volume up and down… in fact, do practically anything that ANY of your remote controls do! 

The wand arrived in a white cardboard box, which in turn contained a wonderful black presentation case with the wand tucked neatly inside.  It’s extremely well designed and made from a very tough plastic.  It definitely looks like a prop from the Harry Potter movies! 

Along with the wand there is also a large, map-like instruction page, which explains in very high detail exactly how to practice to become a top-class magician with your wand and how to teach it the codes from your remote control.  You can always refer to the website too, which gives you hints and tips on how to improve your wizard skills!

So, how does it work as a remote control you ask?   Well, the designers of the wand have programmed it with 13 ‘gestures’ which, when programmed from your remote control, can be used to carry out certain functions on your TV, music player or even your Mac!

The gestures are as follows: 

1.  Rotate Anti-clockwise
2.  Rotate Clockwise
3.  Flick Up
4.  Flick Down
5.  Flick Left
6.  Flick Right
7.  Tap on the Top
8.  Tap on the Side
9.  Big Swish
10.  Push Forward
11.  Double tap on the Top
12.  Double tap on the Side
13.  Pull Back

When you power up the wand for the first time, with the 2 x AAA batteries (included) the wand is in ‘Practice Mode’ and you can feel it pulsing in your hand, as if it’s alive!   You need to spend some time (It took me around 30 minutes) to practice each gesture and, as you make each gesture you can feel the wand pulsing in your hand.  The number of pulses the wand makes is an indication of which gesture you just did.   It does take some time to ‘master’ the moves, but once you get the hang of it, it’s quite easy.

Once you’ve practiced for a while and you’re confident that you’re ready to teach your wand some remote control codes, you need to put it into ’Learning Mode’, which is done by pointing it upwards and tapping it twice on the side.  When you do this you can feel it pulse quite hard, twice.   The wand is now ready to learn some IR codes!

In order for the wand to learn an IR code from your chosen remote control you need to carry out the gesture first, for example the Big Swish, which is 9 pulses.  So, hold the wand gently and do a ‘Big Swish’ and once your gesture has been done, quickly point the end of the wand toward the IR lens of your remote control and quickly press and release the button that you wish the wand to do, for example the ‘channel up’ button.   As soon as you press and release the button the wand should pulse once, quite heavily.  This means the IR code has been saved!  If it carries on pulsing lightly the code hasn’t been recognised, so you have to repeat the steps.   

Once the IR codes have been saved for your chosen gestures, you can bring the wand back out of learning mode and try it out!  To do this, point the tip of the wand downwards and then tap twice on the side.  The wand will pulse twice, quite hard, letting you know it is now ready to be used.

Now, try out your gestures that you programmed into the wand, by simply pointing it towards your TV or music player and doing your best magician moves!  And, just like magic you’ll be changing channel, moving to the next track, or turning the volume up!

I did however come across a slight issue, using it with my cable remote.  Unfortunately, I found out after many, many attempts to get my channel changing button to work, that my cable remote has a certain function that cancels out the IR output from the remote if it’s interrupted, such as someone walking between the cable box and the remote.  in order to get the wand to pick up the signal you have to press your chosen button first (i.e. channel up/down) then another button which doesn’t do anything, such as the yellow button (which doesn’t have a function).  This then registers the initial button with your wand.  An issue, yes….  but easily overcome.

Conclusion

So, is it worth getting one?   Maybe.  Ok, so it’s just a glorified remote control, but it’s definitely more fun to use than your normal remote control, even if you do find that you revert back to using your normal remote after a while, simply because it’s just easier to change the channel with the button on the control, rather than trying to do the right gesture with the wand each and every time.  It’s just too cool and it’ll guarantee to amaze friends and family each time you get it out of the box.    

If you’re a Harry Potter fan, or even a fan of magic, I doubt you’ll be able to resist…..  nor be able to put it down once it’s out of the box!

You can get a Kymera Magic Wand from Find Me A Gift for £46.99 (about $80)

Thanks to Jo for sending me the wand to review!

Filed in categories: Geek Toys, Reviews

Tagged: Kymera, Remote Control, Wand

Kymera Magic Wand Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 17, 2010 at 4:00 pm.

We’ve seen TV remote controls with touch screens, voice control, and shaped like a magic wand, but I don’t think we’ve ever seen a remote control in a pillow before. The Pillow Remote Control from Brookstone is a soft Brown sofa pillow that can control up to 6 different home theater devices. It has easy to click fabric buttons and a wide range IR transmitter. You can buy one for $29.95 and you’ll never have to worry that you’ll lose it in between your seat cushions.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: Remote Control, Spotlight Gadgets

Control your TV with a Pillow originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on November 6, 2010 at 5:01 pm.

I had the opportunity to see the Skitterbot in action last February when I attended the International Toy Fair in NYC. The Skitterbot is a small bug shaped robot that is crazy fast. It can travel at one foot per second. You can control the Skitterbot with the 5 function remote that includes controls for forward, back, left, right, and stop. A retractable USB charger is built into remote and will provide 15 minutes of play
for a 30 minute charging session. Skitterbots come in Red, Blue, Clear, and Green. They are currently available at RadioShack and Toys R’ Us for $19.99. Watch them in action here.

Filed in categories: Kid Gadgets, News

Tagged: Remote Control, Robot, Spotlight Gadgets, Toy

Skitterbot – A Bug You Won’t Want to Squash originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 24, 2010 at 9:55 am.

Though no official word has been made, FCC filings were recently unveiled, illustrating another potential remote control replacement for the iPhone or iPod touch.

Startup company, Zelfy, filed plans for a product called “Peel.”  Images show a small IR port that connects to your wireless router.  After downloading the “Peel” app to either your iPhone or iPod touch, users may control the devices linked with the aforementioned IR connection.

According to Engadget, the product’s tagline states: ”every remote and TV guide now on your phone.”  While this doesn’t provide a clear explanation, their website also shows a woman seemingly controlling her television via iPhone: we can only infer the obvious.

Keep your eyes “Peel”ed!

[Courtesy of Engadget]

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: iPhone, iPod Touch, Remote Control, Spotlight Gadgets

Another Potential iRemote? originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 10, 2010 at 8:52 am.

Do you subscribe to the philosophy of one device to rule them all? Would you use your iPhone to control your home theater equipment? Zero1.tv is hoping that you think that way and will consider purchasing their soon to be released VooMote ONE. The VooMote ONE is a sled type dock that accommodates any generation iPhone or iPod Touch to add an IR port. Using a free application with this hardware, you will turn your phone or media player into a universal remote control that claims to work with 98% of existing devices (TVs, DVDs, Stereos, etc.). To control the remaining 2%, the VooMote ONE has the ability learn the IR codes. One of the features of this solution is that the iPhone / Touch can be used in the regular upright position and will allow the phone to accept calls. The VooMote ONE will go on pre-sale in September, and will be available in December. No word yet on pricing.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, iPhone, iPad, iPod related, News

Tagged: iPhone, Remote Control, Spotlight Gadgets

VooMote ONE – Universal Remote for the iPhone and Touch originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 18, 2010 at 9:19 am.

This past holiday season, my wife and I remodeled our basement putting in a relatively nice media room with fancy in-the-wall speakers, A/V receiver, big LCD TV, Blu-ray player, AppleTV, and Nintendo Wii. All of those components having their own remote which adds up to a fair amount of juggling just to do something as simple as watch TV. Admittedly, some of those remotes have the ability to control other devices but sadly none can control them all. To alleviate this type of hassle, Logitech has been making universal remotes for a very long time. Logitech has recently released a new high-end device to their line, the Harmony 900 universal remote that allows you to seamlessly control up to 15 devices in one.

Having helped many friends and family members setup their TV/DVR/DVD systems I know there are a lot of folks out there that could bring a bit more Zen to their Tech-World with one of these.

The whole purpose of the Harmony 900 and other universal remotes like it, is to replace our ever growing mountain of remote controls with a single all-controlling device.

I purchased a Harmony 880, Logitech’s former flagship of a few years ago, early last year, however I never really embraced it. I played with it for a couple of weeks, but after several failed attempts at making it work I boxed it up and went back to the quasi-universal remote that came with my Comcast HD DVR. When I found out that I was going to be reviewing the Harmony 900, I decided to dust off my old 880 to see if I could get it fully operational in the interim. I do not remember the details of why I did not continue using the Harmony 880, but after setting it up I could not believe I had not been using it all along.

As you can see from the above picture, the Harmony 900 is a sleek modern version of Harmony’s older remotes….very evolutionary.  Along with the new look, better button layout, more controls, and more ergonomic feel; the 900 has a high resolution touch screen, backlit buttons, and RF (radio frequency) transmit capability.

Package Contents:

• Logitech Harmony 900 remote control
• RF receiver
• Charging station
• USB cable
• 4 IR transmitters
• 2 AC adapters
• Lithium-ion battery
• Installation CD
• Installation guide
• Cleaning cloth

Features:

• Includes RF System
• Color Touch Screen
• Ergonomic design
• Sculpted, backlit buttons
• One-touch activity controls
• Replaces up to 15 remotes
• Guided online setup
• Works with 225,000+ devices
• Rechargeable
• 1-year limited hardware warranty

A majority of the Harmony 900 has a high gloss finish with the top black and half the back in light gray. The upper half of the back is a matte black, rubbery material for better grip.

The Harmony 900 has a great ergonomic form-factor, very comfortable to hold and easy to click/reach all of the buttons with your thumb.

The Harmony 900 has an internal rechargeable battery that charges while in its cradle (charging station). The battery can be removed/replaced if necessary.

The Harmony 900 has a very bright, high resolution screen. It is vibrant, responsive, and relatively large given the limited amount of space available to the Logitech designers. The picture above illustrates just how much better the screen is compared to its predecessor. The two screens on the left are clear and crisp (Harmony 900) where the two on the right are pixelated and bland (Harmony 880).

Setting up the remote is a relatively easy process. It communicates with your computer and Logitech application via usb cable.

The web-based application Logitech includes with their remotes leads you through programming of the device, tailoring the controls to each individual A/V setup. To begin the setup process, you have to create an account which then takes you through the process, remembers your devices/activities and enables you to tweak your remote’s programming at anytime without having to re-input all of your info.

You will need the make and model numbers of all your media devices. The setup application makes it nearly impossible to mess up inputting your profile.

Once you have all of your components inputted, you can set up Activity profiles on how you plan to use these devices together, such as  ‘Watch TV’, ‘Watch DVD’ or ‘Play a Game’.  The ‘Watch TV’ activity for example would be configured to watch TV through your LCD TV, with the signal (channel changing/recordings) coming from your Comcast DVR, and sound being controlled by your A/V receiver. That means when you change the channel the remote talks to your DVR, when you raise/lower the sound, it talks to your receiver, and when you turn on/off that ‘Activity’ it turns on/off all of those devices in one fell swoop.

The Harmony 900 is almost identical to its less costly sibling, the Harmony One Advanced Universal Remote. The 900 has one major feature that the One does not, the ability to transmit in RF and the included IR Extender System. Unlike the usual infrared (IR) only remotes, where you must have to have line of sight between the remote and components, RF technology lets you control devices through cabinet doors, walls, etc. The Harmony 900 includes Logitech’s IR Extender System, which receives your command via RF and retransmits it to your components in IR. A very nice ability if your media setup calls for it (although it does add to your wire clutter).

The entertainment cabinet we chose has glass doors and I do not need to change things from another room, so I do not need this feature. But for the purposes of this review I set it up and it worked perfectly from a nearby room. The top highlight box is the main blaster and the lower-left shows the mini-blaster.

I really like the remote but it did/does have a few issues I should mention. First off, Julie was not able to make it work with many of her older devices (Personally, I thought she should have used it as an excuse to upgrade everything). Second, I had issues getting it to communicate to my MacBook, which was the computer I was using to program my Harmony 880. I had to use my wife’s iMac to program the Harmony 900. I have yet to get it communicating with my laptop but I have contacted Logitech and hopefully they can help me fix this problem soon.

That said, the remote definitely works as advertised. It works perfectly with my TV, receiver, cable box, and AppleTV. At $400, it is expensive. If you do not need the RF capability, I would suggest Logitech’s Harmony One as a comparable universal remote that can be found on the Net for under $200. But if you have a solid faced cabinet and do not like to have the cabinet doors open when using your system, the Harmony 900 is a great answer to eliminate remote clutter and bring greater Tech-Zen into your World.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, Reviews

Tagged: HD TV, Remote Control

Logitech Harmony 900 Universal Remote Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 25, 2010 at 8:50 am.

You ever wanted an ice-cold beverage but were sitting too comfortably to get up to quench your thirst?  This gadget might be the tool that solves just such a dilemma.  The RC Cooler InteractiveToy Concepts is a remote-controlled cooler.  You might recall that Julie posted a comment on the site about this on 3-Dec-2009. Let’s check it out and see what it has to offer.

Product Features / Specifications:

• Full function (forward, backward, right, left) remote control
• Holds 12 drinks
• Maximum load capacity of 10Kg (approximately 22 lbs.)
• Works indoors and outdoors
• Completely collapses for easy storage
• Removable and adjustable shoulder strap
• Zippered lid to keep pests and moochers out
• Four easy glide wheels
• Requires one (1) 9V and six (6) C batteries (not included)
• Effective radio range of 35-50 feet
• RC frequency: 27MHz

In The Box:

• Cooler
• Remote control
• Removable and adjustable shoulder strap
• Instruction sheet

At first glance, I am initially surprised by the small size of the cooler’s box.  I am wondering if it can really hold 12 drinks.  Opening the box, I see that the cooler is in its collapse state and packed pretty well.

The manufacturer uses semi-rigid plastic, colored in silver, and blue heavy-gauge denier nylon.  Although the plastic makes me suspect its durability, the denier nylon feels robust.  On the website, they have pictures of coolers with red and blue nylon too, if that suits you better.

I carefully unpacked the device and the other contents.  I find the two plastic snap-down locks located on opposite ends and release the cooler’s top from the bottom, expanding the cooler to full-length.  Without any drinks, the cooler does not want to remain expanded.

I turned the RC Cooler over, exposing the screw secured battery compartment located in the center between the wheels.  The cooler requires six (6) C batteries to operate.  Yes, that is not a mistake, I said SIX.  At approximately $1.50 per battery, that is an extra $9.00 needed to make the cooler come to life and that is not taking into account the one (1) 9v battery used in the remote control.

The four wheels made of black hard plastic and strategically placed at different ends to provide maximum balance.  Nobody wants their drinks and ice to spill out because the cooler tips.

The last thing of significance on the cooler’s bottom is the On/Off switch.  I appreciate the ability to turn off the device and hopefully save some of the life in the batteries.

The top of the cooler has two metal zippers that are utilized to securely close the circular entry point.  The denier nylon top sits slightly lower than the plastic rim which makes it a little difficult to open and close easily.  I think that using velcro to secure the top might have been a better design option.

The product specifications state a maximum capacity of 12 drinks, so I loaded it down with the maximum, choosing a mixture of 12 oz. cans and plastic bottles.  Filled with the beverages, the cooler easily remains fully upright.

During later trials, I filled it with 12 bottles of beer and it was pretty tight, with not much room to spare.  I definitely recommend loading the drinks first and then pouring the ice in around the beverages.

To help you gain an idea of the cooler’s size, here you can see how tall it is compared to a few 12 oz. cans of soda.

The other partner in this dynamic duo is the remote.  It has a round shape with four buttons (forward, backward, right and left), giving the operator options to navigate around obstacles.  Here you can see the size of the remote compared to my Blackberry Storm.

Here is the cooler expanded and loaded with beverages, batteries installed and the device’s power turned on, I am ready to test drive the cooler.  Look out kids, here comes daddy’s new toy.

Now it has been a while since I played with anything remote-controlled and seeing how I have two little girls, I doubt I will get much practice but I must say that it did not take me long once the remote was in my hand.  I was cruising around the house both on smooth and carpeted surfaces.

Upon operating the cooler, you immediately notice sound from the motor.  There is definitely no chance you are going to be able to sneak up on someone with an ice-cold one.  I will say that the sound became less noticeable the more that I used the device.

Having conquered the interior surfaces, I decided to take it outside and test it on my concrete patio.  It easily navigated over the slightly rough texture of my backyard patio, where it will primarily be used.

My last test was in through the grass.  I was not expecting much but I was impressed that it did progress slowly through my yard but it did get stuck a few times, so you should probably stick to a harder, more consistent surface.

Now like most coolers, they are primarily used when we are going somewhere else so to make getting the cooler there easier, the manufacturer included an adjustable shoulder strap.  The strap is removable via two black plastic insert snaps.

The strap lacks shoulder padding, so you definitely do not want to do a 5k walk carrying this cooler.

In summary, I really like the RC Cooler.  As any other cooler, its primary function is to keep drinks cold and it does that fine without leaking any excess water from the ice, which is always a concern with the denier nylon coolers.  What this cooler has above all others is its ability to bring you a drink while you are sitting comfortably in your seat.

The $69.95 price tag, the slightly loud motor noise, the difficulty in opening the top via the zippers and the number of batteries are my biggest complaints.  You can buy a cooler with a much larger capacity at a much cheaper price but can that cooler bring you a beer when nobody else will?

The times that I utilized the cooler, it was a hit with my friends and I cannot wait until the summer months when I will get to take it with us to pool parties and tailgates.  So if you have $70 to burn and spend a lot of time outside drinking ice-cold beverages, I suggest buying the RC Cooler.

Lastly, I want to give credit to the marketing folks at InteractiveToy Concepts for making a great commercial for this product.  I highly recommend going to www.rccooler.com and watching the RC Cooler commercial.  After viewing, my wife stated in a purposeful tone, “if you ever look like that guy or even attempt that with me, I will hurt you.”  Think I might heed that warning.

Filed in categories: Miscellaneous, Reviews

Tagged: Beverage, Remote Control

RC Cooler Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 21, 2010 at 8:45 am.

Hammacher Schlemmer has a voice-activated remote control for many versions of the iPod.  The 1.5 X 1.5 X 0.5 inch device plugs into the dock connector of  the 1st and 2nd generation touch, 2-4 generation Nano, and many other iPods.  (Check Hammacher Schlemmer for a complete listing of compatible iPods.)  Clip the remote to your shirt, or wear it around your neck with the included strap.  Control various functions by saying commands like ”play”, “stop”, and “volume up”.  The iPod remote recognizes English, but it can be trained to recognize the commands in other languages.  Hammacher Schlemmer says the remote fully meets Apple’s performance standards.  The remote is $89.95.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear, News

Tagged: iPod accessory, Remote Control, Spotlight Gadgets

Control Your iPod with Your Voice originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 28, 2009 at 11:46 am.

How many remote controls do you have for all of your home theater equipment? Do you know how to use all of them? If you’re reading this site, then you probably do But does everyone in your family know how to use them? Do you often hear someone from the living room asking you what they need to do to watch a DVD or play their XBOX games? The Yamaha neoHD looks like it could be an interesting solution. I have eight remotes littering my coffee table. I have no problems using any of them, but the person I live with is very intimidated by these multi-buttoned contraptions. She won’t even try to figure them out on her own because she’s afraid she’ll mess something up.

The Yamaha neoHD looks like it would be a lot easier to use because it only has a few buttons. How does it work? It interfaces with your TV to show options on your TV screen. They have 3 versions. One that controls your AV equipment, one that adds wifi music streaming from your computer and another that includes speakers and a subwoofer. The three systems are really expensive though… They start out at $599.95 and go up to $799.95.

If you would like to have one of these remotes of your own, you can enter the Yamaha neoHD Sweepstakes for a chance. There are two ways to enter the contest:

a. by Tweeting: “I just entered to win a #neoHD b/c I have too many remotes, visit (blog.izea.com) to enter”

b. or enter via blog.izea.com

You can find neoHD on facebook.

Does the Yamaha neoHD remote look good to you? Are you going to enter the contest?

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear

Tagged: Home Theater, Remote Control, Spotlight Gadgets

One remote to rule them all – YAMAHA neoHD originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 3, 2009 at 7:51 pm.

Remember the tiny Carbon Butterfly R/C plane from Plantraco that I reviewed two years ago? Now they are offering a 1:72nd scale Spitfire radio controlled airplane that has a wingspan of only 6 inches. Too cool!

Filed in categories: Geek Toys

Tagged: RC Toy, Remote Control, Spotlight Gadgets

Spotlight Gadget – World’s Smallest Warbird originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 5, 2009 at 8:46 pm.

Product Requirements:
Up to four home theater components,
including: Cable (S/A Explorer and other Cable boxes) or Satellite, TV or TV/VCR
, VCR or DVD and Audio equipments, and two AA batteries

Is your coffee table starting to look like a wasteland of remote controls? Or
perhaps your TV remote has been dropped one to many times during episodes of
klutziness, and the black electrical-tape that holds it together is starting to
slide off from wear – leaving a gooey after-slime that you hate touching. If so,
then it is time for you to consider investing in a universal remote control.

As anyone that has been to a mega-electronics store can tell you, there are
all sorts of different universal remote controls available. The choices may seem
mind boggling at first, but I think that they can be broken down into two main
groups: those with traditional vertical styling, and those with LCD screens.
When talking about the traditional vertical remote control, other than their
sizes and the number of devices they can operate, there really isn’t that much
to differentiate the various models. In fact, up until I received
Pogo! Products new
VRC-400 Universal Remote Control,
I figured that if I had seen one universal remote, then I had seen them all.

The feature that sets the VRC-400 apart from the crowd is its ability to
recognize up to eighty voice commands from a single user. If there are
four users, then this breaks down to 20 commands per person. So, while this may
look like a typical vertical remote, it is actually anything but.

Included in the VRC-400′s packaging is the Universal Remote Control, a
plastic stand, and the user manual. You will need two AA batteries to program
and operate the remote. I should mention that the stand has three black rubber
grips on its bottom to keep from scooting. However – if the surface the stand
rests on is light, then you may notice that it leaves marks. When I am being
neat I keep my remotes in a basket on the wall, but generally the main remote
will be lying on an ottoman, so I discarded the stand.

The remote is 8.5" long x 2.5" wide (at bulge) x 1" at thickest point; with
batteries it weighs 6 ounces. The casing is comprised of black plastic with
enough grooves and bulges so that it fits very comfortable in hand. There is an
indention above the battery door that is a natural resting place for the right
index finger, allowing the thumb to hover poised over the buttons.

Even without its voice capabilities, the VRC-400 appears to be a feature rich
remote…

General Features:
Controls up to Four Devices: Cable (S/A Explorer and other Cable boxes)
or Satellite, TV or TV/VCR , VCR or DVD and Audio equipments.
Non Volatile Memory back up on 2K-bit EEPROM to retain programmed memory for 10
years even without batteries.
Back-lit Device buttons to indicate the current operation mode (these buttons
are labeled TV, DVD, AUX, and CBL/SAT)
Number of buttons: Maximum 53 buttons available
Built-in Universal infrared code Database for total operating control of all
your Audio/Video equipment
Volume Punch Through: Enables the volume controls (Vol +/- and Mute) to work in
either mode.
VCR/VOD: Enables the transport buttons (Play, FF, REW, Stop, Pause and Record)
to work in either mode.
Time out function: Shuts off remote if any key is pressed for 45 seconds,
extending battery life.
Micro Processor: 8 Bit micro processor, ROM Size : 32K Byte
One step factory reset procedure

Add to that the following…

Voice Features:
Operates with voice commands or button presses
Language and accent Independent
Store up to a total 80 voice commands
Four Independent “Personalities – Up to Four users can store 20 commands each
Map any voice command to any button
Simple training process combines macros and voice commands
Powerful Macro Capability – A single voice command can send multiple button
process – Multi-String Macros send out different button sequences on subsequent
commands
Luminous Voice Button. – Allows user to operate in a dark room by voice command
Power: 2 AA batteries ( primary or rechargeable )
Operating Voltage : 2.2 ~ 3.5 Volts
Typical battery life : 4 months ( by Alkaline cells. Varies depending on
frequency of use )
Operating current : approx. 25 – 45mA
Leakage current : Max. 10uA
Power management : Shuts off remote if any key is pressed for 45 seconds

These features are all well and good, as long as the setup is not too
difficult and as long as the remote will actually work with the components you
already own. I am most often in our home office, which has a Philips TV and a
Panasonic DVD Home Theater Sound System, so those are the components I will use
with the remote.

In order to program the VRC-400, you must first turn on the devices it is to
control. Pressing the [SEL] and [MUTE] buttons together causes the LED
back-lighted buttons for each device to all glow red. Referring to the Brand
Setup code list included in the packaging, you must enter a three digit code for
each component’s brand. As you enter the digits, the buttons will flash. You
then hit the [CH+] button in individual taps until the device turns off. Once
the device is turned off, you press the button for the proper component. The
backlight will flash three times showing that it is now working properly.

Setup started without a hitch…

I began with my Philips TV, pressed the [SEL] and [MUTE] buttons, entered the
Philips digits "073," then hit the [CH] button three times, at which point the
TV powered off. Then I hit the [TV] button which flashed three times, and
viola, the remote was now programmed with my TV settings. That wasn’t hard
at all!

Next up for programming was our Panasonic DVD player. I followed the same
exact steps, but this time entered the Panasonic code "071," then hit the [CH]
button four times…at which point my TV powered on! Hey, that wasn’t
supposed to happen! Just to be sure, I did the steps several more times to the
same effect.

In a perfect world, entering the corresponding three digit code would
immediately cause the remote to work properly, but I know that things don’t
always happen that way. Using the assumption that there might be some truth to
the rumors I have always heard on how there are really only three or four
DVD manufacturers in the world, and that they just resell their units to other
companies for their own branding, I decided to enter some other major brands’
codes to see what happened.

I tried the codes for Toshiba (which after about 10 clicks also turned
on my TV), Sony, Sanyo, Sansui, Hitachi, JVC, and a couple of others hoping that
there might be some overlapping of the codes…but no luck.

So I checked the support
section of the POGO! website. Figuring I would do things in the proper
order, I restrained from zipping off an email to tech support, and instead first
tried looking on the FAQ
page. All of the topics dealt with other items that POGO! also sells, so my next
course of action was to email tech
support.

Doing my standard "stealth tech-support" routine, I wrote: "I
am trying to get the voice remote to work with my Panasonic DVD player, model
number SA-HT900, and it will not. I was able to successfully program my Philips
TV, so I know I am following the steps correctly. Is there perhaps another code
I should try? Thank you, Judie"

While I waited for their reply, I decided to
try out the voice commands on my TV…

There is a special note in the user pamphlet
that states, "If, like many new user [sic] you speak unusually clearly
and slowly during training, the remote may not recognize your commands when you
later speak normally. For consistent results, speak naturally at all times!"
…which makes perfect sense, so with that statement in mind, I began.

Voice Command is actually pretty easy to set
up, and after you have done it once or twice you’ll be a pro. You start by
pressing the [Voice Setup] button at the bottom of the remote for a few seconds,
until the last selected device’s LED button lights up, which in my case is the
[TV] button. Next, you press the number for the channel you want to program. If
you have a cable box to go through, you hit the [CBL/SAT] button before the
channel numbers. As the numbers are pressed, the LED buttons will flash. Then,
you hit the [Voice] button in the middle of the five-way hub.

Holding it down and releasing it as you say
the name of the channel, for example "MTV," the TV button will flash three
times. As soon as it glows solid, you say "MTV" again. So long as the two voice
prints match, the TV button will again flash three times and you will have just
programmed your first voice command. Each command can store up to 10 keystrokes,
so even if you have to do some bypassing to or switching from auxiliary devices
for the desired result, you should have plenty of room to program in the needed
steps.

To use the voice command to recall a
station, you hold down the [Voice] button while saying the channel’s name. You
should have the remote about 10" away from your mouth – just remember to say the
command like you did when you programmed the remote! ;0)

While I have most of my favorite channel’s
numbers memorized, there is no way to know them all. It’s actually pretty handy
to have a remote that can call up the correct channel when you want to see
"TLC," "HGTV," "Food," or "History" without flipping through 40 or so channels.
Julie pointed out that this could be very handy for a visually impaired person,
too.

The infrared port on the VRC-400 is said to
have an operating distance that varies depending on different manufacturer’s
devices. I had no problem controlling the TV from 15 feet away.

So far, I am having a mixed reaction to the VRC-400. On the one hand, it
appears to be a very well made remote with a catchy gimmick. On the other hand,
it is frustrating that not only could I not program it to work with our DVD
player, Steve (the A/V guru in our household) could not either. I am still
waiting to hear from customer support – but as soon as this issue is hopefully
resolved, I will post my results.

Price: $49.99

Pros:
Universal remote consolidates your remotes or replaces old damaged ones
Voice command might be very useful for the visually impaired

Cons:
Just because your brand’s code is listed does not mean you will be able to get
it to program…
The stand’s rubber feet will leave skid marks on light surfaces

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear

Tagged: Remote Control

Pogo! Products VRC-400 Universal Remote Control Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on December 12, 2003 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
Microsoft Windows 98, 98SE,
ME, 2000, or XP
1 free USB port

Do you feel lost without a remote in your hand? If there was an Olympic event
for button pushing, would you win the gold medal? Same here! I’m constantly
switching songs on my stereo and have wondered what it might be like to have
that same capability on my PC, when I’m not sitting directly in front of it in
the same room. The Streamzap PC Remote
will let you do just that. While it looks remarkably like your standard TV
remote, this is a USB remote for your desktop PC.

The Streamzap is actually made up of two components. The handheld remote, and
the IR receiver that plugs into the desktop. The IR receiver is a small plastic
blob that plugs into a free USB port. Before you can use it (and before you even
plug it into the PC), you have to install the Streamzap software that is
included on a CD. Installation is fast and easy. A multimedia demo is also
included that walks you through the different features on the remote.

The remote is made of black plastic and is nicely balanced which makes it
comfortable to hold and use. 2 AAA batteries are required to power the remote.
Unfortunately, batteries aren’t included in the package. The remote has 35
individual rubber buttons that are labeled with bold lettering which is pretty
easy to read.

Out of the box, the Streamzap supports the following applications: Winamp,
Microsoft Media Player, ATI MultiMediaCenter, RealOne, RealPlayer, RealJukebox,
SnapStream, Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, Hauppage WinTV (WinTV2000, WinTV32)
& WinTV-Radio, Microsoft PowerPoint, MusicMatch Jukebox, QuickTime, Sonique,
Cyberlink PowerDVD, PowerVCR II, InterVideo WinDVD, ATI DVD Player, JazzSteps
Radio, Ravisent CineMaster DVD, Mediamatics DVD Express, Creative PC-DVD Encore,
Lotus Freelance, FreeAmp, RealMagic DVD, SonicFoundry Siren Jukebox, Xing DVD
Player, TheaterTek DVD, HiDTV Pro, JRiver MediaJukebox, DivX Player. According
to the website, more are being added all the time.

From up to 40ft away, you can control these applications using the buttons on
the remote. I conducted my tests using Microsoft Media Player and Winamp (which
is included with Streamzap). The Play, Stop, Next, Prev, Pause buttons all
worked as expected while the application was visible on the screen (not
minimized). The Volume up/down and Mute buttons work regardless if the
application is visible or not.

When you press any of the other buttons, the Streamzap application will try
to guess which desktop app you’re wanting to control. I did a test having both
Microsoft Media Player and Winamp running at the same time. In this case, it
controlled the application in the foreground.

In the middle of the remote is an OK button with four direction buttons
around it. These buttons allow you to move the cursor / mouse around on the
screen. This works ok, but can be frustrating as the acceleration of the cursor
movement almost always makes you overshoot your target. You can change the
repeat delay and repeat rates, but it is still awkward to use. Pressing the OK
button in the center, is the equivalent of pressing the left mouse button on
your mouse. This gives you the ability to pretty much control most aspects of
your PC from a distance. The only thing you can’t do is type or input data with
the remote. Although there is a phone style numeric / alphabetic pad, pressing
the buttons does nothing in the apps I tested during the review.

The four colored buttons at the bottom of the remote are user definable. They
can be set to launch a specific application or open your browser to a favorite
website. Too bad that there are only four of these buttons… This remote would
be so much better if there was a macro record mode as well.

Depending on your computer, the power button on the remote can put your PC in
standby mode. Unfortunately, my PC didn’t support this feature.

The Streamzap is inexpensive remote that is easy to setup, and easy to use.
It is not a super gee whiz gadget, but if you need a way to control various PC 
applications while sitting away from your computer, but still in a line of sight
to it, this infrared remote just might be a solution to that need.

Price: $39.95

Pros:
Controls a pretty good selection of applications right out of the box
Good range
Easy to setup

Cons:
Only 4 macro buttons
Can’t input text/numbers using phone style pad on remote
Batteries are not included

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear

Tagged: Remote Control

Streamzap PC Remote Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on May 6, 2003 at 12:00 am.

Product Requirements:
Device:
PC with a free serial / COM port

Have you ever had the desire to control your
WinAmp media player software with an IR remote control like you do your
stereo or television? The WinAmp Remote Control from
TekGems will allow you to do just that.

The WinAmp Remote is actually a Packard Bell Fast Media Remote Control that
at one time came included with some of their higher end desktop PCs. TekGems has
repackaged this remote with a free software application called WinLIRC and a
plug-in for WinAmp.

To start using the remote, you must first attach the IR receiver to your
desktop PC. The receiver is a square plastic IR module with a 6 ft cable and a
serial connector at the end. The serial connector pretty much clues you in that
this product is a couple years old. Too bad it didn’t utilize USB instead. After
you plug the cable into a free serial port on the back of your computer, you
have to install WinLIRC which is included on a floppy along with some basic
installation instructions. Although WinLIRC has quite a few options that can be
configured, the instructions included with the remote only tell you to change
the COM port to reflect the port that you plugged the cable into.

The next step required before you can begin controlling WinAmp is to copy a
.DLL file (included with WinLIRC) into the plug-in directory of the WinAmp
installation. This is where I ran into a slight snag. I had installed the latest
version of WinAmp (3.0) and found that the plug-in directory did not exist. I
thought I was out of luck reviewing this product until I noticed that an older
version of WinAmp was included on the WinLIRC floppy. This older version did
include a plug-in directory, so I was good to go. I installed the .DLL and was
able to begin programming commands into the remote that would allow me to
control the operation of WinAmp with the handheld infrared remote.

The remote itself is made of plastic and has 34 buttons that can be
programmed to do over 40 different tasks such as next track, previous track, up
volume, down volume, stop, play, pause, top of play list, bottom of play list,
etc. The buttons all have decent tactile feedback and the remote is comfortable
to hold. I actually found it to work pretty well even from as far as15 ft away.

For $11, you really can’t beat this product IF you want the ability to
control your media playback with a remote control. That is, if you don’t mind
having to use an older version of WinAmp with it. However, if you dig around a
little, you can find other software on the net that will let you use the remote
to control other PC tasks. Personally, when I want to change tracks or adjust
the volume on my media player, I just click the GUI with my mouse since I’m
already in front of the computer. If you find that you aren’t always in front of
your PC, but close by, this product might just be the thing you need when you
want to turn up the volume on the latest Nickel Creek track.

Price: $10.99

Pros:
Inexpensive
Control WinAmp from several feet away

Cons:
Doesn’t work with latest version of WinAmp
Uses a serial connection instead of USB

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear

Tagged: Remote Control

WinAmp Remote Control Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on January 21, 2003 at 12:00 am.

Program Requirements:
Desktop:
Windows 98 or Macintosh OS 8.5.1 or later and a USB
port

Are you a remote control junkie? You know the type, they have about 243
remotes for their TV, VCR, CD player and refrigerator. Ok, maybe they don’t have
a remote for their CD player…   How about adding another remote to
their collection. One for the computer that allows you to control applications
like PowerPoint, MP3 players, DVD players and more. Keyspan
has created a small infrared remote called the Digital Media Remote that will
let you control these applications just like you do your TV or VCR.

The remote is a 15-key IR remote that can transmit signals more than 35 feet.
It runs on a lithium CR2025 coin cell battery. There is a small IR base station
that you plug into a free USB slot on your PC. This module has a slot in it
where you can put the remote when it isn’t in use. The hardware installation is
simple to do and only took me about 5 mins. The software that you install will
put a daemon on your computer that runs all the time and waits for you to press
a button on the remote so that you can control an application.

The Digital Media Remote controls your applications by sending them the same
keystrokes that you do when you control the application from the keyboard on
your PC. For example, if the application uses the "N" key to
advance to a new slide, the Keyspan Remote can send the same key to your
application allowing you to control your application from across the room.

The remote buttons will act differently depending on which application is in
focus or in the foreground and whether or not the Keyspan has a keymap for that
application. For example, the MENU button on the Keyspan remote will access a
DVD-video disc’s menu screen in one application but the same MENU button may
start playing an MP3 in another application. Some of the built-in keymaps
include: Microsoft PowerPoint, Real Player, Microsoft Media Player, Microsoft
Internet Explorer, WinAMP MP3 Player, Quicktime Player, and more. If the
application that you want to control isn’t supported, the remote software can be
customized to support additional applications. The application must be able to
be controlled via keystrokes and not just mouse clicks. I feel that this the
biggest limitation of this product because a lot of applications might not have
keyboard shortcuts. I set up the CD Player software that I use on my PC to work
with the Keyspan remote. This required me to read the CD Player help file to see
if it could be controlled by keystrokes. I was lucky that it was. It was then
just a matter of mapping the remote buttons to specific keystrokes. It was
pretty easy to do.

The Keyspan remote is well made, and pretty easy to use. I’m not sure how
useful it is for people that sit in front of their computer and listen to MP3′s
or CDs. If you’re sitting in front of your computer, it is easier to just click
the player application with the mouse than it is to grab the Keyspan remote. If
you do need to control your applications from several feet away from your
computer, this product will work as advertised. I also think this product would
be useful for people that want to control their PowerPoint presentations from
several feet away from their computer.

Price: $79

Pros:
Allows you to control your computer applications via remote.
Good for PowerPoint presentations.

Cons:
Can only be used with applications that can  use keystrokes.
Expensive.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear

Tagged: Remote Control

Keyspan Digital Media Remote Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on February 1, 2000 at 12:00 am.

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PC Commander from Concept UK is an infrared module which enables you to control your Windows desktop PC with a regular TV/VCR universal remote control. This small 1.5" x 1" module has an LED to show when it is active and an IR Sensor to receive commands.  Attached to the module is a long serial cable with a 25pin connector at one end. I wish they would have used a 9pin connector instead as most PCs use the smaller connector. As a result I had to dig around in my junk box for an adapter to use with it. The module also has a strip of sticky tape so that you can mount the module in a convenient spot.

The software that controls the module comes on a CD. Installation is easy. Once it is installed, you can run it and set the appropriate com port that you have plugged the module into. I had a little trouble getting the software to recognize a non-standard type com port. I have a USB 2 serial / 1 parallel port unit that has com3 and com4 assigned to it. The PC Commander software didn’t care for this arrangement. Concept UK is working on fixing this problem.  Using the module on com1 worked fine though. After you get things hooked up and talking together correctly, you have to teach the module the IR codes that you want to use with it. This is pretty easy and just requires you to press the LEARN button, press the button you want to edit and then press a key on your remote that you want to use for this command. That’s about all there is to it. You can edit, add or change any command you wish. You can set up the software to launch applications, or send keystrokes.

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height="223" alt="pccommander2.jpg (15764 bytes)"/>

I set up a key that would launch the notepad.exe app when I pressed the appropriate key on my universal remote. This worked well except that if I held the button down too long, I would have multiple copies the notepad app popup on the computer. You can even setup a key to launch a web browser and surf to your favorite sites.

alt="pccommander3.jpg (15606 bytes)"/>

The IR Sensor in the module is pretty strong. I was able to get about 15ft away (I ran
out of room to back up at that point) and it still worked great.

On the down side, I found a few bugs in the PC Commander software that caused it to
crash during the learning process. This became a little annoying. Concept UK is aware of
the problems and are working on a quick fix.

This hardware / software combo is interesting. A person with a good imagination could
think of many uses for it. But, at the cost of almost $100 US dollars, I find it a bit
over priced. Cut the price in half and fix the bugs and I would be more likely to
recommend it.

Price: £59 UK (approx. $95 US)

Pros:
Ability to control your PC using a remote control.
Easy setup and interface.

Cons:
Expensive.
Software has some bugs.

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear

Tagged: Remote Control

PC Commander Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 11, 1999 at 12:00 am.

Are you a TV freak? A real couch potato? I’m not ashamed to say that I am and when I
saw the Program Master from Scottsdale
Technologies, I was pretty excited. What is the Program Master? It is a One-Button VCR
programmer that features a simple "point and click" operation. This small egg
shaped piece of hardware interfaces with a terrific PC TV guide program called Electronic TV Host. 

 
(Electronic TV Host software screen shot)

ETV a downloadable television guide for your personal computer. Similar to a paper
guide, ETV displays channels, programs, and times on an easy-to-read and navigate grid.
Some 200 different search commands allow the user to filter through more than 15,000
weekly programs. Users can search by program title, actor, station, movie genre, rating,
category, sport or keyword. Users can also highlight and save their "favorites,"
and the system will alert users to their preferred shows, movies or sporting events every
week. ETV covers all local and cable channels in the top 100 U.S. markets, and all DDS,
Primestar and C-band satellite programming. I’ve personally been using ETV for about a
year now and absolutely love it.

So, what does this have to do with the Program Master? Using ETV, you mark the TV shows
that you want to view or tape. Then, you click on the Program Master icon and the
information is ‘light linked’ to your Program Master remote.  You then set the
Program Master near your TV,VCR,cable box or satellite dish and voila, no more VCR
programming by hand! Sound too good to be true? Well, it was just a bit harder than that
(at least for me). I’ll now go into more detail.

The Program Master is a small black plastic, one button, one LED, egg shaped remote
that runs on 2 AAA batteries. The one large button can be rocked in four directions. After
you set things up, you will only be pressing the button UP.

When you buy the Program Master, it comes with 2 floppy disks that have the ETV Host
software (Windows only) and Program Master software on them. You also get a 6 month
subscription to ETV.  Installing the software is as easy as installing any other
Windows program. I did run into one problem: if you already use ETV Host, you’ll want to
de-install it and re-install from scratch. I kept having problems with the Program Master
software until I did this. After you install the software, you will need to activate the
free ETV Host subscription. This involves having your PC dial out on the modem via a toll
free number, or you can call voice and get the activation key. You will then need to
download the weeks TV listings.  Every thursday, there is a new week of TV listings
posted on ETV’s web site. After unzipping the TV listings, it is just a matter of setting
up the Program Master to control your TV, VCR, cable box or satellite dish. Warning: this
was the most frustrating part. When you first start up the Program Master software, you
are required to create a ‘room’.  You can create several different rooms if you want
to use the Program Master to control different TVs, VCRs, etc in different rooms of your
home. To setup a room, you give it a name and then select the brand of your TV, VCR, and
cable/satellite box. It’s all point and click. The interface is very nice. Once you select
this information, the program will ‘light link’ a set of code libraries to your Program
Master remote.

Light Linking requires you to hold the Program Master in front of your PC monitor while
it flashes horizontal bars across the screen. The Program Master reads these flashes and
translates them into the codes that it needs to control your TV, VCR etc. I said this was
the most frustrating part because you have to hold the Program Master steady for what
seems like forever while it sends a file that is less than 2000 bytes. You need to hold
the Program Master about 6-12 inches away from the screen. You then press the button up
which makes the LED light up. If the LED is green, you’re in the right spot for it to read
the flashing bars. If it is red, you have to move it around till it turns green. When the
transfer is complete, the LED will twinkle. Sound simple? Just wait… You then press the
spacebar and the light link starts. There is a little progress meter at the top of the
screen that tells you how much longer you have to wait. I found that 7 times out of 10 the
transfer would fail about 3/4ths of the way into it. I have a steady hand, so that wasn’t
the problem. It got quite frustrating. I seemed to have had a little better luck if I
turned the lights out in the room and did the transfer that way. Once you get the right
code libraries into the Program Master, you’re over the biggest hurdle. The next thing you
have to do is test the codes with the Program Master and your equipment. To do this, you
stand in front of your TV and press the button on the Program Master until it turns the TV
on. You have to keep track of how many times you press the button because when the remote
turns on the TV, that is the correct library. You then do the same thing for the VCR and
then the cable box or satellite dish. I didn’t have any problems at all with my RCA VCR or
RCA DSS satellite dish and the Program Master. I never did get the Program Master to
control my Magnavox TV though. I ended up trying all the code libraries without any luck.
This didn’t really bother me that much though because my DSS dish controls the channels,
not the TV. To be fair, I have had problems before with remotes and my Magnavox TV.

After your room and equipment is setup in the Program Master software, things are then
very easy to use. It’s just a matter of selecting shows that you want to tape or view in
the ETV software and then light linking this info to the Program Master remote. You can
light link a whole weeks info to the Program Master or just one show at a time. One thing
though about linking one show at a time: if you want to link individual shows, each show
has to be scheduled after the previous one. Linking wipes out any previous information
that you sent to the Program Master. For example, at 1pm you link a show that starts at
4pm and then at 2pm link a show that starts at 5pm. What will happen is that only the 5pm
show will be taped or viewed. Linking the show data is so much easier than the code
libraries because you’re usually only sending 100-200 bytes of info. It’s quick and works
almost every time.

The Program Master software is pretty robust in that you can edit an event to change
the date, start, end times, delete an event, or add a new event manually. You can even
print the events although I don’t know why you’d want to use the Program Master software
to do this when you can do it better in ETV. I did find one little problem/bug in the
Program Master software. If you have some events set to tape in ETV and you start up the
Program Master software, they will be displayed. If you decide that you don’t want to tape
one of the events, you can press the delete event button to delete it. I found that the
event would magically reappear in the Program Master screen after a couple seconds. You
actually have to go into the ETV Host program and change the event to not tape.

All in all, I really like the Program Master. It is a handy little piece of hardware
that will save you time in programming your VCR. It’s also an excellent companion to the
already excellent ETV Host software. The only thing that needs improvement is the light
link during the setup phase.

Price: $49.95
Construction: A
Ease of Use: B-
Overall Rating: B

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear

Tagged: Remote Control

Program Master Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 25, 1999 at 12:00 am.

The Tune In! remote control by Beery
Systems, Inc. is a universal remote control that can be used to control up to 6
separate devices. It can be used to control TVs, VCRs, cable boxes, DSS/DBS receivers,
amplifiers, amp tuners, audio cassettes, CD players, digital audio tape, laser disk
players, …well, you get the idea. It can control just about anything. It is
lightweight, not extremely large and the buttons are big and easy to push in. (There are
only 20 buttons not counting the 12 number pad buttons). There is also a button to light
up the number pad. (By the way, it runs on 4 AAA batteries).

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You might ask, "Yo, Don! How can this control so many devices with just 20 buttons?" Well, you have to program Tune In! to go into different "modes". There is a 2 key sequence to go into modes such as CD player or DSS, etc… After you punch in the mode keys, then you can use Tune In! to control that specific device. This review will be broken down into categories for some of the devices that Tune In! can control. Before you get started using Tune In!, you have to program it to recognize the electronic device that you want to control. Tune In!s web page is loaded with codes for almost any device. In fact, their web page has a lot of information that you might need. I downloaded 18 pages of documentation just for programming the channels on the TV, and another 11 pages for doing different setups. At times it seemed as though they were overloading me with information, but the reality is that the information was written in an easy to understand way.

With regard to controlling your TV, Tune In! has a number of useful functions. Most
notably, is the function that allows you to punch in a station’s call letters, like
"CNN" and it sets the channel to CNN, which in my case is channel 32. In order
to do this, though, you need to program Tune In! to know that channel 32 is CNN. So the
first thing you have to do with Tune In! then is program all of the channels that you wish
to use. This could take quite a bit of time, especially if you have 100 channels to
program. But, setup time aside, here is a quick list of the other TV functions Tune In!
has:

This function stores up to 10 of your most-watched stations for quick and easy channel
surfing.

This function allows you to Channel surf during commercials then press Ch Find
to return to where you were. Mark 2 stations and you can toggle between the two channels.

This function is used to copy keys of one mode to another.

This function is used to restrict access to certain channels, so only those who know
the codes can find them.

There is also a sleep timer and a function for doing macro commands. If you wanted to
use Tune In! to turn off your TV and VCR automatically, you can use the sleep timer, and
the macro command function. But you need to make sure that you place Tune In! somewhere
that it can "beam" both devices from the same spot. (That goes for any other
devices as well).

VCR control-

To controlling your VCR, it would seem that all you needed to do is use the
identification code for your device, and you are all set. The codes are downloadable from
Tune In!s web page. I did this and was able to program Tune In! to recognize my VCR. But
all I was able to do is control the tape playing (PLAY, STOP, FF, REW, REC, and Pause)
functions. In order to use the VCR to pre-program channels to record, you need to contact
Beery Systems to get the set-up codes. For example, if you had a remote control which has
a wheel that rotates to allow you to scroll up and down while in the menu area for
pre-programming, you would need to get the codes otherwise you still need both remote
controls.

The Tune In! remote can control many more devices but to describe them all would take
too long. Suffice to say, if you have a device that can be programmed via a remote then
the Tune In! remote will probably be able to control it.

Overall, Tune In! takes a lot of time to set-up, and you need a really good memory to
remember which buttons are for which commands while in the different modes. In some cases,
you may need to hit 3 buttons just to turn on the power to a specific device. And you may
need a lot of different set-up codes to make the remotes that Tune In! is replacing truly
obsolete. The TV functions are the most flexible. If you really want a universal remote
that is capable of running all of the devices listed above, then Tune In! is a worthy
candidate.

Price: $49.95 (+ $5.20 S & H)

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear

Tagged: Remote Control

Tune In Remote Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on March 25, 1999 at 12:00 am.

Hello, my name is Julie Strietelmeier, and I am a couch potato. There, I’ve said
it…whew… I feel better. Yes, it’s true, I like nothing better than sitting home on the
weekend watching movies and tv shows that I’ve taped during the week while being at work.
When the mini satellite dishes came out, I had to have one (I don’t have cable in my
area). When I found an electronic tv guide program (ETV Host), I had to subscribe to it. And when
I saw a nifty looking gadget on the Tech
Center Labs website called The Wedge, I knew it would be no exception. The Wedge
coming in two variations is a hardware learning remote ir device that works with your Palm
III or PalmPilot. To control this hardware requires a software package called WedgeTV. Put The Wedge and WedgeTV together and
you have a terrific combo for all you couch potatoes out there.

alt="wedge5.jpg (3942 bytes)" width="287" height="177"/>

Like I said, The Wedge comes in two flavors. If you have a Palm III, you’ll probably want the P3-Wedge. The P3-Wedge is a regular P3 cradle with the cable removed, 2 LED’s and electronic guts added. One led is the transmitter and the other one is the receiver for the learning portion of the remote.  The Wedge is powered by 2 AAA batteries. To change the batteries requires you to take the cradle apart. It’s not real difficult, but it can be a pain to get it back together because of the hotsync button.

If you own a PalmPilot, you’ll want to get the Pilot-Wedge. This is a metal box that can be used as you see to the right, or by removing the metal cover, it can fit directly onto the back of a regular PalmPilot cradle. I really have to hand it to the Tech Center Lab folks because this little module is very well made and fits like a glove. Just like the other Wedge, there are two LED’s. One difference though is that you have to plug the end of the cradle’s serial cable into the Wedge.  The Pilot-Wedge also runs on 2 AAA batteries. Changing them is somewhat easier because you just have to open the back of the module or slide it out from the back of the Pilot cradle to change them.

alt="wedge2.jpg (3293 bytes)" width="186" height="189"/>

width="202" height="196"/> alt="wedge4.jpg (5239 bytes)" width="298" height="133"/> (The speaker holes are for future
features.)

So, how do you program this device? It’s a simple matter of using the WedgeTV program.
There are two parts to this program, the actual interface prc and the scheduler hackmaster
extension prc. The interface program is very easy to use. You must first teach it all the
commands from your various remote controls. You then name the device you want to learn
such as TV and start learning the commands. By holding the remote next to the receiver LED
and following the onscreen instructions, you’ll have your remotes learned very quickly.
The basic commands such as Power, channel up, down, volume up and down are already
inserted in the list of commands to learn for you.  You can add other commands as
well (up to 400 commands).

width="405" height="236"/> alt="wedge6.jpg (10315 bytes)" border="1" width="160" height="160"/>

After teaching the hardware all your commands, you then can create a control screen.
This is your GUI interface for building the remote of your dreams.  If you want to
build a remote that has Power buttons for your TV, VCR and Stereo all on the same remote,
you can do it. Or, if you want to create a separate screen for each device, you can do
that also and then just cycle through them as needed. Building the control screens is
easy. You just tap on a button and then you select which command it will be from all the
commands that you have learned.  You can then associate a graphical icon or text
label for the button. It would be really cool if the WedgeTV folks would allow the user to
add their own graphical icons as well.

border="1" width="160" height="160"/> alt="wedge7.jpg (7519 bytes)" border="1" width="160" height="160"/>

The real power of WedgeTV is in its ability to create macros. Macros allow you to link
together commands to create one command. For example, you could create a macro called
Movies. With this macro, you could have it turn on your TV, turn on your Stereo, turn on
your VCR and press PLAY.  Or, as another example, you could create a macro called MTV
that would press the appropriate channel numbers to switch to that channel. You also have
the ability to create macros that include other macros!

Another great feature of this software/hardware combo is the scheduling feature. You
can set up datebook events that call macros and execute them at the correct time.  
All this requires is that you make a macro and then in the Datebook application, set an
alarm with the name WTV-RecordXfiles.  By putting the ‘WTV-’ in front of an existing
macro name, when the alarm goes off, the WedgeTV hackmaster hack will execute the
macro.  Of course, you’ll have to put your Pilot and Wedge near the devices that
you’re wanting to control when the alarm goes off. I did find that the WedgeTV hackmaster
hack would not work with Datebk3 when Datebk3 was set to handle alarms.

Speaking of leaving the Wedget near the devices that you want to control, I tested the
distance that it would control my TV and ran out of room that I could back up at about
23ft. Also, according to the folks at Tech Center Labs, the batteries in the Wedge module
should last as long as batteries in a regular remote control.

The only problems that I had with the software/hardware combo was getting it to control
my Magnavox TV. It would seem to learn the codes just fine, but then they would
sporadically work. The latest version of the software seems to have fixed this problem
though…

What don’t I like about this product?  There really isn’t much… The software
would be perfect if it could import macros and schedule alarms automatically via some
method. Other than that and the fact that you have to leave the Pilot and Wedge near the
devices that you want to control, I can’t think of any. Time to go out and buy an extra
Pilot!

Price: $30.00 (WedgeTV software), $89 (P3-Wedge Hardware),
$80 (Pilot-Wedge Hardware)

Pros:
Gives you one module that can control all your IR devices.
Ability to create complex macros.
Ability to setup datebook alarms to execute macros.

Cons:
No way to import macros and schedule alarms automatically.
You have to leave your PDA and Wedge in front of the devices that you want to control.
Some compatibility problems with Datebk3.

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear

Tagged: Palm, Palm OS related, Remote Control

The Wedge and WedgeTV Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on September 1, 1998 at 12:00 am.

The PC Remote by Concept UK
is a nifty infrared gadget that will learn almost any command from any IR device.

First a little background:  I’ve always had the dream of controlling my VCR and
DSS satellite system via my computer. I hated manually setting up my VCR to tape shows. I
would constantly screw things up and put the wrong channel in to tape or not set the times
right… I wanted something where I didn’t need to actually do the manual programming.
 

A year ago or so I found one piece of the puzzle in a Windows based program called Electronic TV Host. This program is an
electronic TV guide that shows you all the TV shows and movies for the week. You can then
mark the show for recording or viewing. This program also has great search capabilities.

The next piece of the puzzle that I found was the PC Remote module from Concept UK.
This is a small (2" x 3" x 1") plastic box with 3 leds and a long parallel
cable/connector. The PC Remote is powered by a 9v battery. You plug one end into a free
parallel port on your PC, and then set the PC Remote in view of your infrared controlled
devices. This module also comes with a CDrom that has the controlling software on it.
  The software only takes about about 1meg of hard disk space.

PC
Remote module and Powermid IR repeater.

The software is simple to use and doesn’t require much time to setup.  It’s just a
matter of teaching the PC Remote all the commands of your actual physical handheld remote
controls. To do this, you start up the pcremote.exe, switch it to learn mode.  You
point one of your physical remotes at the PC Remote module, click the key on the pcremote
program that you want to learn and then press the physical button on the actual remote.
When the command has been successfully learned, the pcremote  program’s fake led
turns from yellow to red. You also have the ability to rename keys, and even create
additional remotes.  To create a whole new remote, you just copy the pcremote program
to a different name. Each remote can have up to 30 defined command keys.

height="320"/>

The remote learning process is pretty easy. The only hard part is positioning the physical remote and the PC Remote module so that the PC Remote will learn the commands. It just takes a short amount of practice. Sometimes you have to even touch leds of the two devices together to get the PC Remote to learn the commands. The PC Remote is supposed to have a range of about 20-30ft. I found that the PC Remote would not work past 15 or 16ft in my house. To remedy this, I purchased a seperate product called Powermid. This is a set of 2 pyramid shaped devices. One is a receiver and one is a transmitter. The receiver takes an infrared signal and transmits it via RF to the other powermid device. This made it very convenient to control my VCR and DSS in my living room from my computer room down the hall. With the powermid, you can transmit signals up to 100 ft away and thru walls/floors. Once I had learned all my physical remote controls commands with the pcremote software, it was time to play!  It was pretty neat to be able to turn on your TV, change and

change the channel from another room… but the novelty of this wore out in about
5mins.    What makes PC Remote great is that it can also be run from a
command line.  This allows you to setup timed events via any scheduling software that
allows you to run a program.  Programs such as the Task Scheduler that comes with
Win95 Plus Pack for example.  The are many other shareware and freeware scheduling
programs available as well. 

There are lots of interesting things that you can do with this capability. You can
create an event to turn on your stereo at 6am, turn on the CD player, select track 2 of a
CD and play it.  Or, you could even do some very powerful things with X10 devices.

My main interest though was in programming my VCR and DSS to automatically tape TV
shows. I had almost all the pieces (the PC Remote module, and ETV), but needed a special
piece of software to interface them together. I wanted to be able to mark a show in the
ETV software as a show to record and have the PC Remote automatically turn on my VCR, turn
on my DSS and tape that show when it was time to tape it. And then when the show was
finished, turn off the DSS and VCR and wait for the next show to tape.  To do this, I
wrote a small program in Visual Basic.  This program parsed through a file that ETV
automatically writes whenever you mark a show to watch or record.  So far my program
works pretty well.  I’m having a bit of trouble with taping shows that start one one
day and end on another.  For example, a movie that starts at 11pm and finishes at 1am
the next morning.  As soon as I solve that program (I think I’m close…), it will be
almost perfect.

PC Remote has been alot of fun to play with and experiment with.  It is easy to
setup, and compact in size. Anyone with a desire to control IR devices with their PC
should check out this nifty little gadget.

Price: £39 (approximately $ US dollars)

Pros:
Easy to use
Great to experiment with
Small

Cons:
Might need an IR repeater like Powermid to use with it
Needs at least a Pentium 100 machine

Filed in categories: Desktop Computer Gear, Home Tech

Tagged: Remote Control

PC Remote Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on August 18, 1998 at 12:00 am.

The people at One For All were nice enough to send me one of their great new remotes to review: the a/v Producer 8. This is a quality remote that almost has it all.  This is a universal remote that will control up to 8 different components including but not limited to: TV, VCR, CABLE, SAT, TUNER, AMP, CD, DVD, LASER DISC, Home Automation, and AUX.

The a/v Producer 8 is a large remote. It’s about 10 inches long and 3 inches wide. Its also got quite a ‘heft’ to it. Some of the great features of this remote are its LCD display and backlit keypad.  The LCD display shows you the current time and mode that you are in. The backlighting is really nice.  The whole keypad and LCD light up in blue. The only bad thing is that you have to touch a key to get the backlight to turn on… So, you have to know where at least one key is on the remote if you are in the dark.  The keys are sufficiently large, and have a slight tactile feedback.  I don’t particularly like the number shaped channel buttons, though.

Because the remote is so large, I did find that some buttons weren’t easy to reach with my thumb while holding the remote with one hand.  I also found that the location of the VCR control buttons (Play, Rew, FF, Stop, and Pause) where inconveniently located at the very bottom of the remote. It was quite difficult to control the VCR while using the remote with just one hand.

The initial setup and programming were easy. It was just a matter of locating the brand of the component in the manual and then keying in the listed 3 digit codes till one operated the component (if none of the codes will operate the component, the a/v Producer can ‘search’ for the correct code until it finds it). This had to be done for each component that you want to use with the remote. After all the codes are entered, there is an option to allow the a/v Producer to save it’s memory. This is necessary for when the 4 AAA batteries that power the remote need to be changed.

The a/v Producer has several special features. One of them is the ability to set up a timed sequence of keystrokes that can be played back at a specified time up to seven days in advance. Some uses for this would be to set up a sequence that would turn on your DSS and VCR to record a show. Or to turn on your infrared home automation lighting system when you’re away from home. You can store up to a total of 10 sequences in the memory of the remote with each sequence having up to 15 keystrokes.  Another nice feature is the Home Theater button. You can program this button to bring up all your home theater components at the touch of one button.  There is also a sleep timer that you can set up to 60mins that will turn off all your components at the end of that time.

All in all, this is a great remote that has enough features to make almost anyone happy. The only real disadvantage is its large size.

Price: $79.99
Construction: A
Ease of Use: B+
Overall Rating: B+

Filed in categories: Audio, Video, TV Gear

Tagged: Remote Control

a/v Producer 8 Review originally appeared on The Gadgeteer on October 15, 1997 at 12:00 am.